Wednesday News Roundup 10/31

Sandy’s got everyone worked up, and Romney’s keeping his mouth shut. When asked (14 times, in fact) if the Wisconsin governor would eliminate FEMA if elected president, the candidate kept silent. In the past, Romney has suggested being in favor of storm protection and relief being moved to the private sector.- Huffington Post Article

Everyone loves a good story, and Obama’s falling short. The President is coming under criticism for his lack of a coherent narrative in his plan for America, which was his undoubted strongest point in the 2008 race against McCain.- NY Times Article

The Army is playing its part at home, as the Corps of Engineers has offered to to help repair the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel following Hurricane Sandy. At the height of the storm, the tunnel had flooded with an estimated 86 million gallons of water.- NY Post Article

As China draws nearer to a changing of leaders, the occupied area of Tibet is rising up in a new rash of protests. Since 2009, 63 protestors have self-immolated against the Chinese government, with all but 9 dying. This, following the 2008 Beijing Olympic riots, in which hundreds of Tibetans were killed, seems to show a need for change in the Chinese regime.- Washington Post Article

Unrest rages on in the Arab states, as Qatar accuses the Syrian government of genocide against Rebel fighters in Sunni territory. Since the dawn of the war, an estimated 32,013 civilians have been killed, thought this number is up to speculation with the highly restricted nature of Syrian government documents.- CNN Article

Contributors

Kirsten Burkhardt is a fourth-year biomedical sciences major at RIT. She is from Brockport, yet plans to move to the West Coast and pursue a medical degree in non-traditional orthopedics after graduation this spring. Kirsten, 21, enjoys running and advocating for a healthy lifestyle, and has set the goal of completing all 5Ks that RIT offers throughout her last year of undergraduate study. You can reach Kirsten at Kab4926@rit.edu or on Twitter @Kab4926.

Emily Clark is a 20-year-old journalism major from Henrietta. In her third year at RIT, she is the director of talent for RIT SportsZone and an aspiring writer/broadcast journalist. Emily’s favorite things include reading, running, yoga and blue nail polish. She has a slight (understatement) weakness when it comes to sweets. Contact Emily by e-mail at eec8289@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @emelizclark.

Gino Fanelli is a second-year journalism student from Rochester. A dedicated and passionate writer, Gino aims to create stories that build broad, yet concrete, bridges between American culture and socio-political issues. With the presidential elections slowly inching closer, Gino hopes to reveal the thoughts of the average American on the race, especially after the heated race of 2008. Outside from his writing, Gino is an avid musician and artist. Follow him on Twitter @GinoFanelli.

William Hirsh is a second-year journalism student from Syracuse. A political junkie, William is ecstatic about covering the presidential elections this year, striving to make sense of the political debate and the key issues at stake. This will be his first year voting in a national election. Follow him on Twitter @Chauvet12.

Andrew Magown is a third-year student in University Studies. He is looking to move into the field of journalism soon to follow his career path. He lives in Essex, Conn., and currently studies at RIT. He is involved with the on-campus fraternity of Kappa Delta Rho and enjoys dancing at the Ballroom Dance Club. This will be his second time voting. He watches the candidates with eager eyes. If you have any questions for him e-mail him at amm6914@g.rit.edu, or follow him on Twitter @amagown.

Bianca Meyers is a fourth-year journalism major at RIT. She is from Deltona, Fla., but currently resides in Gates with her husband and two dogs. She is interested in fashion and entertainment news and runs a beauty and style blog. Feel free to contact Bianca at bcm9818@rit.edu with questions or follow her on Twitter @Bianca_Meyers.

William Palmer is a fourth-year photojournalism major at RIT. Born in Kāneʻohe Bay, Hawaii and raised in Newark Valley, N.Y. He plans to move to New Orleans after graduating from RIT in November. He primarily focuses on sports and news photography. He has received honors and awards for his photography from the RIT Honors Show, 66th CPOY and the What We Do Show. William took the class headshots featured here. William can be e-mailed at wap9860@rit.edu and followed on Twitter @wpalmerphoto.

Jessica Sinclair, 24, grew up in Maine with two sisters and one brother. She is a third-year journalism student at RIT. She really enjoys writing, which has always been her passion. She also likes reading and writing about medical and health topics. Feel free to contact her if you have any questions, or comment on her posts. She can be reached through Twitter @SinclairJess.

Alexandria Strader is a fourth-year advertising and public relations student from Rochester. In addition to completing her studies at RIT, she is also the digital marketing associate for Cortese Auto Block. When Allie isn’t busy chasing after her dog, Harry, you may find her at a country music concert, sampling wines and desserts at a local festival, or catching the latest sale at the mall. This is the second presidential election that she will vote in. For more information, contact her at acs1715@gmail.com, or follow her on Twitter @acstrader.

Mike Weiss is a fourth-year journalism student from New Hampshire. He’s currently studying at the weird and wonderful RIT. Mike likes writing about politics and the oddities of pop culture. He likes to think he’s very entertaining; unfortunately, we have to put up with his terrible jokes. Feel free to contact Mike at @mikegweiss on Twitter or mikegweiss@gmail.com.

Chris Zubak-Skees is a fourth-year journalism major at RIT. He hails from Pittsburgh, Pa., but only roots for the Steelers in fair weather. He’s written for RIT Reporter Magazine, Infinity Quad – a blog he started to cover campus – and the Sunlight Foundation in Washington, D.C., and hopes to do this for a living someday. You can follow him @zubakskees or reach him via chriszs@mail.rit.edu.